Rhinos battle with Warriors

Thursday 4 January 2007 00:04 BST

New Great Britain coach Tony Smith will lock horns with predecessor Brian Noble in the fifth round of the Carnegie Challenge Cup.

The duel between Smith's Leeds Rhinos and Noble's Wigan Warriors is the glamour tie of the last 16 in what is a repeat of the 1994 and 1995 Wembley finals, when Wigan were victorious on both occasions to extend their record winning run to eight.

Leeds assistant coach Francis Cummins, who played in those finals, said: "From our point of view, all you can ask for is a home draw at this stage. Any Super League team is going to be a tough draw this season but I suppose a lot will be made of the history of this tie down the years."

The match will be played on the weekend of May 12-13 but the sides will have a dress rehearsal next Tuesday when they meet in a Super League encounter at Headingley.

He added: "Easter is a tough period of games anyway so next Tuesday's game did not need any extra spice and there is a long way to go before we face each other in the cup.

"We have got a very tough month in April but I'm sure, once the week of the cup comes round, both sets of players will be excited about the challenge."

Cummins also played when the two sides last met in the cup in 1999 at the fourth-round stage, when Leeds won 28-18 at Headingley and went on to lift the trophy in the last final at the old Wembley.

Super League leaders Bradford also face a cup dress rehearsal when they visit Wakefield on Easter Monday, while the other all-Super League tie gives Salford the chance to avenge last year's quarter-final defeat by Huddersfield, who went on to reach the final.

Holders St Helens, who ran in 78 points in their fourth-round tie against Batley, have been hardened as 6-4 favourites with William Hill after being paired with more National League One opposition in Rochdale.

Barrow and Sheffield Eagles can look forward to bumper pay days when they visit Warrington and Hull respectively, while Whitehaven look to have the best chance of pulling off an upset after landing a home tie with French outfit Catalans Dragons.